Found an egg on my dock

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Feeder fish at our Petco is just goldfish. Is that what you suggest? And are you saying to feed it while it is in the incubator? How does it get water?

I am worried about it hatching late as it is already almost 6 pm!

Also, I am really thankful for you getting me this far along with this little guy! So thank you thank you thank you for all of your advice!
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Petco should also have guppies and rosy reds, I fed mine a mixture of these, when they got bigger as well as mealworms and crickets. I mashed up the fish and insects (in the blender) and the babies did great, the only thing similar I had rehabbed was a 12 week old heron that had been hit by a car, so raising neonate egrets was new.

EDIT! I do agree that live feeders probably aren't best for new babies(we breed our own at the rehab, so I didn't even consider that pet store ones may have parasites), and frozen silversides are a great choice!

When mine hatched I fed them while they were still in the incubator as they were begging for food, I gave them their first couple of feeds while they were still in the incubator. Egret chicks are semi altricial, meaning they are downy and have open eyes, but still remain in the nest for 10-12 weeks. They are very fragile babies, so I left them in the incubator for 24 hours before moving them to a baby bird/parrot brooder.
They are fine without water in the incubator as their food gives them all the moisture they need.
If a grocery store near you has small, fresh fish (NEVER FEED ANYTHING CANNED! IT IS HIGHLY SALTY AND WILL LEAD TO KIDNEY FAILIURE!) you can remove all bones and feed those.

Good luck with the little one! When you drop him to the rehabber make sure to ask for updates!
 
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Petco should also have guppies and rosy reds, I fed mine a mixture of these, when they got bigger as well as mealworms and crickets. I mashed up the fish and insects (in the blender) and the babies did great, the only thing similar I had rehabbed was a 12 week old heron that had been hit by a car, so raising neonate egrets was new.

EDIT! I do agree that live feeders probably aren't best for new babies, and frozen silversides are a great choice!

When mine hatched I fed them while they were still in the incubator as they were begging for food, I gave them their first couple of feeds while they were still in the incubator. Egret chicks are semi altricial, meaning they are downy and have open eyes, but still remain in the nest for 10-12 weeks. They are very fragile babies, so I left them in the incubator for 24 hours before moving them to a baby bird/parrot brooder.
They are fine without water in the incubator as their food gives them all the moisture they need.
If a grocery store near you has small, fresh fish (NEVER FEED ANYTHING CANNED! IT IS HIGHLY SALTY AND WILL LEAD TO KIDNEY FAILIURE!) you can remove all bones and feed those.

Good luck with the little one! When you drop him to the rehabber make sure to ask for updates!
I have found squirrels and other baby birds and brought them to this particular rehab and they are SO good about giving updates which I love. Perfect! I will look for those fish! I also found all these little fish/shrimp that are super easy to scoop up by my dock. I am wondering if that is an option or are they too small?

And another question! After they pip is it normal for them to not make progress for a while?

It would be so much easier if this thing comes out a duck 😂
 

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I have found squirrels and other baby birds and brought them to this particular rehab and they are SO good about giving updates which I love. Perfect! I will look for those fish! I also found all these little fish/shrimp that are super easy to scoop up by my dock. I am wondering if that is an option or are they too small?

And another question! After they pip is it normal for them to not make progress for a while?

It would be so much easier if this thing comes out a duck 😂

Ducks are sooo much easier to raise then Egrets, I probably raise 30-50 ducklings every season(both orphan and my own)!
Those fish are probably what baby would be eating in the wild, but parent egrets regurgitate food, so baby would be getting antibodies as well.

It's normal for hatching to take a while, don't stress it.
 
Ducks are sooo much easier to raise then Egrets, I probably raise 30-50 ducklings every season(both orphan and my own)!
Those fish are probably what baby would be eating in the wild, but parent egrets regurgitate food, so baby would be getting antibodies as well.

It's normal for hatching to take a while, don't stress it.
Just to clarify, you think this would possibly be a good option to feed it? Really hoping he hatches tomorrow when they are open!
 
Don't feed it anything, they can easily go 48 hours without food. I would offer water though. So EXCITED! I can't wait to see this baby! I love the little perfect pip!
 
I don't think the baby will have to eat. I would just offer water and maybe some scrambled or hard boiled eggs.
 
Lol, I think it's funny everyone is talking about food when the baby has only just pipped, lol. It can go 48 hours without food or water.

The babies I raised started begging a few hours after hatching (normal for egrets), 48 hours without food or water would probably put it at risk for dehydration/malnutrition. Being semi-altricial their yolk sacs are smaller and give less nutrients, as mom and dad feed them very soon after hatching.
 

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